Background

Air New Zealand operates domestic and international passenger transport and cargo services and employs approximately 10,000 people throughout the world.

Challenge

In 2009, as a direct result of difficult trading conditions and increasing pressure on management and staff to manage change and customer expectations, Air New Zealand sought to implement a program that would build a sense of resiliency and engagement across all people employed in the business.

Experience

Working in partnership with the client, we looked at ways in which we could help senior management make a positive impact on the culture across the organisation.
We recommended that in order to build capacity in staff to respond to challenges with resiliency and drive, the organisation needed to focus on changing people’s attitudes and mindsets which in turn, would have a positive effect on their behaviour and performance.
A joint team comprising key Air New Zealand staff and specialist consultants from The Pacific Institute® helped develop a customized program to address these issues.
Consequently Air New Zealand’s “Realise Your Potential®” programme was rolled out with the aim of building internal capacity.

Over a period of two years, The Pacific Institute® trained more than 80 Air New Zealand staff and accredited them to deliver the customized “Realise Your Potential®” program across all senior management and staff of Air New Zealand. There were eight separate facilitator-training sessions and an additional 30 ongoing facilitator support days. The programme as presented to management and staff as a voluntary programme, and after two years, 9,600 staff (out of a total of 10,000 staff) attended the program .Management and staff who attended this internally delivered programme awarded an average overall point-rating of 4.75 out of 5.

Outcome

Delivering measurable benefits: partnering with The Pacific Institute was the right choice

Air New Zealand anticipates that, as a direct result of its partnership with The Pacific Institute®, there has been a positive impact on individuals. This direct investment in Air New Zealand’s people means that the organisation can move its workforce forward and have a far better alignment with its desired culture and consequently drive performance.

Recent awards prove that the organisation has made significant gains in its culture and performance

Airline of the Year 2010 Voted by Penton Media’s Air Transport World®, USA’s leading airline magazine, the carrier was honored for its superb commitment to safety and operational excellence, superb and groundbreaking customer service that combined high-tech, passenger-friendly IT systems with caring staff. The judges were impressed with the airline’s leadership role in addressing environmental challenges facing the industry, including conducting the world’s first sustainable biofuel flight.

Best airline 2010 Awarded by UK’s top consumer magazine ‘Which?’, this award was independently voted by readers. The award theme, ‘Who Cares Wins’ was all about which companies provided the best customer service. According to the magazine’s Chief Executive, Peter Vicary-Smith, “To win this award, not only must a company offer outstanding products or services, it must also deliver exceptional value and a great customer experience; Air New Zealand is a deserving winner”.

“Overall we are delighted with the results and the very definite positive impact it had on our company culture and engagement”

Vanessa Stoddart, Group General Manager, Technical Operations and People

“I am so pleased at how well staff are taking to “Realise Your Potential” and the incredible stories that are flooding us about the impact it is having on people’s lives. We also have an AMAZING team of facilitators who are so passionate about the program, and this infects everyone they come across.”

Melissa Crawford - Organisational Development Consultant